The two masons died when they were taken "into custody" by the underground group during interrogation by the cadre members.

Children play near a vehicle torched in Imphal, Thursday.

By Esha Roy

Imphal, May 15 :
Eight cadre members of the Kuki Revolutionary Front (KRF), a banned
underground group in Manipur and a Suspension of Operation signatory
with the Indian government, were picked up on Wednesday by a joint team
of the Imphal West and Imphal East police commandos for the murder of
two masons after a search operation was conducted in Thingsat village
and its surrounding areas.

The two masons died when they were taken “into custody” by the
underground group during interrogation by the cadre members. A furious
mob turned violent on Thursday in light of these deaths in Patsoi
village, where both the victims hailed from. They allegedly attempted
burning a Church last night and today beat a Kuki driver to death. The
violence has taken a communal turn as the masons belong to the majority
Meitei community and there have been sporadic attacks on Kuki tribals
travelling in the area. The Manipur police has imposed a curfew in the
areas and has stopped movement on the Imphal-Jiribam highway where the
village is located.

The two victims, both 20-years-old – Moirangthem Dayananda and Maibam
Premananda – were working in Needy Home Academy, a residential school
located at Maipou Khullen village. They, alongwith a 12-year-old Class 6
student Konthoujam Bishal, were picked up by the KRF cadre members who
suspected them of being informants to another Meitei underground group.
They went missing Sunday morning. On Tuesday, May 12, Bishal was handed
over to his family by the KRF who also informed them that Dayananda and
Premananda had “died during interrogation”. Bishal is presently being
treated at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences.

The police have since recovered Abung and Premanandas bodies. Furious
Patosi villagers have been blocking the national highway with human
chains and tree branches and boulders and burning tyres at various
points on the national highway. Police teams have been deployed along
the highway to control the situation. They have imposed a curfew in the
area and the Joint Action Committee formed by the family members of the
deceased and villagers have called a 24-hour general strike from
midnight tonight till midnight tomorrow.

The villagers have tried to burn a Church at Patsoi village last
night. Five passenger vehicles were halted today and the passengers were
made to disembark. The passengers, all belonging to the Kuki tribe,
were beaten up – some severely. The five vehicles were then set on fire
by the irate mob. A Shaktiman driver, another Kuki tribe members, was
also beaten up by the mob. He succumbed to his injuries as he was being
rushed to the hospital by the police. Sources said that there have been
sporadic attacks on anyone being identified as belonging to the Kuki
tribe.

The JAC has demanded an explanation from the KRF as to why these boys
had been killed. They have also demanded that the government take
action against the group and provide “befitting punishment’’ to the
arrested cadre members. They have contended that such incidents do take
place every once in a while but the government has not only failed to
take action in the past but proper investigations are also not conducted
into such incidents.